Two Little Horns
by TheLilyoftheValley
Summary: HellBoo. When King Boo was released from the painting, the last creature he expected to release him was a she-demon hotel owner with a flair for the dramatics and one of his biggest fans. AU. {Cover art by solarwreathe of Twitter}


_(People: *amazing 'Luigi's Mansion' fics with cool ideas and neat concepts* _

_Me: "HellBoo… BUT HELLEN'S A DEMON INSTEAD OF A GHOST!"_

_Enjoy lmao.)_

**Disclaimer: I do not own Mario, the "Luigi's Mansion" series, or any of its characters. I hope that absolutely no one is surprised by the song inspo.**

Two Little Horns

When consciousness swept back into his mind and his eyes caught the raging fires and the brimstone lining the walls, his first thought was that his time as a ghost had finally come to an end.

Unfinished business? Maybe it didn't matter anymore. If his spirit was already in the land of Inferno, then-

The sudden lack of balance coupled with the sudden loss of being stationary toppled his form, and the Boo face-planted against the floor.

Dirt and sand, or at least something resembling them, touched against his tongue. Jagged rouge-red stones poked against his form, and as a noise of discomfort knickered from his mouth, he shook off the lingering unconsciousness from spending so long in the painting. A beat of silence later, as much as the crackling fires allowed for quietness, King Boo rose from the floor.

As he looked forward, he found the creature that released him from his framed prison.

A long blue-and-white dress stretched a foot away from the throne, the fabric running along the fractured ground. The bottom half was a vibrant baby blue, a deep slash of dark blue to separate the light blue from the white, then a pearly white upper half. A cutout, something he picked out as the shape of the jewel he usually carried in his crown, laid across her chest, and pink-purple skin looked dark under the light of the fires.

Glowing golden irises with cat-slit pupils shined mischievously as the wicked smile stretched across her face.

Two horns protruded from her head, the same purple as her skin. A large hairdo, hair pitch black as a moonless night, rose between the horns, and if the long, snake-like tail and the vicious claws cradling her right cheek and the large red jewel in her left hand meant anything, it meant the creature that had freed him was a she-demon.

Oh boy…

His knowledge of demons was thin. The only thing he could really remember was to never make a deal with one as it led to inescapable consequences, but other than that, it was going to involve a lot more guesswork than he was comfortable with.

She shifted in her seat, straightening her body and flicking out the tip of her tail. The jewel in her left hand was placed into a holder next to her throne, one with curvy spires that curled over the gemstone to protect it. "King Boo…" she cooed, rising from her seat. Her arms extended, stretching to their full length, and she jutted her hips forward as she gestured to the burning room around them. "It is an absolute honor to welcome you to my exceptional hotel, The Last Resort!"

Unease pricked his form, and King Boo ducked back as wariness entered his body language. His eyebrows furrowed and his tongue tensed as he prepared to lash it out. His right side sided a little closer to the she-demon, ready to block an attack should she make one.

Not that he had much to protect himself with in this weakened state, what with the absence of a power jewel.

"Huh, didn't know Lucifer ran any hotels…" he said, sticking close to the firm and empty painting behind him.

The she-demon's body language immediately changed.

Color rose on her cheeks as her body drew back inward, a hand coming up to touch her cheek. Her other arm stretched across her stomach, and the cat-slit pupils grew just the slightest bit bigger as she quickly cleared her throat. "I-I-I'm honored you would think that, your Majesty, though I am not the main Master of Inferno. I am a different demon."

Her claws drifted to her side, and a powder compact tangled in her fingers. With a practiced gesture, she flicked open the compact, tapping on layer of makeup to her face, smoothing out any lines and hiding the blush that had formed.

"Technically, I'm a smaller and weaker demon compared to some of the other beasts you've most likely heard about, but I am a demon nonetheless." Her eyes stayed focused in the compact's little mirror. "The Master of Inferno is many levels further down than I am, though I am flattered that you would mistake me for such a powerful demon."

The little Boo's eyes ran up and down the she-demon, picking out any information he could use to protect himself. "So," he began, eyes locked on the powder compact. "If you aren't Lucifer, then who are you?"

Again, her mood shifted. Pride and a knowing aura radiated from her as her glowing eyes settled on him. Claws closed the compact with a sharp snap, and an arrogant smirk touched her lips.

With a simple move of her arm, the powder compact was back at her side and hidden from sight.

The she-demon leaned forward as she sashayed toward King Boo, her grin widening to the point where the sharp white fangs peeked out of her mouth.

His tail bumped against the empty painting as he tried to back up, a little more of his right side turning toward her as the click of her clawed feet echoed around the room. A rumble of warning came from him as she drew close, erasing the distance between them. Even when she stopped just a few feet away from the ghost, the little Boo stayed strong in the defensive position his form held.

"I, my dear king-" she straightened, lifting a hand to the cutout over her chest, fingertips and nails pressing against the purple skin "-am Hellen Gravely. As I mentioned before, I am the owner and head caretaker of The Last Resort, a hotel catering to all forms of creatures in Inferno." Black pupils expanded as she clapped her hands together. "I am also one of your biggest fans, and it is an absolute pleasure to meet you face-to-face."

So, a fan… This could be beneficial.

King Boo relaxed his form, careful to keep some of his wariness to him as he turned himself more to face Hellen. "Glad to meet a fan of mine…" His frown softened at the corners. "Guess that's why you released me from this painting," he trailed off, his words fishing for the answers he needed.

"Of course, my king! I've been dying to meet you in person!" Joy erupted across her face. It was a simple kind of joy that looked far out of place compared to what Inferno was known for. "The scientist that held you captive was far too easy to trick, and once he stepped into my hotel, he soon learned the real reason I invited him here."

Her words trailed off, a sinister note to the way she pronounced the letters. If her first words didn't fit with Inferno, then the later words fit far too well with the evil Inferno was known for.

King Boo immediately lowered his guard. "What'd you do to him?" he growled, excitement flooding his form for the first time in years.

The she-demon smirked, waving her hand in a dismissive manner. "You don't need to worry yourself over him, my king. Professor Elvin Gadd has been taken care of. Though…" Hellen leaned forward, the sinister and evil aspects of Inferno finally gracing her face. "If you were wondering specifically of what happened, I can say that _justice_ has finally been served."

There was a playful wickedness to her, like she had a joke that she didn't want to tell the punchline to yet.

It sucked that he hadn't been the one to give E. Gadd his comeuppance, but then again, King Boo was okay with letting someone else nab the crazy scientist.

Luigi though…

Luigi was another story.

He matched her evil grin, his red eyes sticking with the impish golden ones. "Ah, now that's some great news to hear after being locked up for so long. I hope he got exactly what was coming to him."

Hellen preened, closing her eyes and tilting her chin up as a little hum came from her. The powder brush was back in her claws, almost coming out of nowhere, and pink particles floated from her scaled cheeks as she dabbed on another layer of makeup. "Mm, he did. I personally made sure of it, and he was absolutely _colored_ to find out just what his punishment entailed…" She brightened, eyes snapping open and locking back on him. "Speaking of which…"

With a snap of her fingers, the spires curled around the red gem she had in her palm earlier retracted. Light flashed along the sides of the jewel as one spire curled around the bottom tip of the gem, lifting it from the stand and magically growing towards Hellen's outstretched hand.

"I bear more gifts for you, my king."

The spire looped back around the tip, and the jewel gently fell into Hellen's palm. Sharp claws clicked against the crafted cuts in the gemstone, scaly fingers cupping the large object in her palms as she bowed. "A red jewel to replace the last one Luigi stole from you…"

Power from the stone electrified his form, familiar shocks and jolts like static electricity. The gem rose, lifting from Hellen's cupped palms into the empty crown, gently settling between the spires of the circle of gold.

Sounds chirped from the Boo as the power tickled his form.

Magic surged through him, and with a few cackles, the Boo grew his size. Hellen took a few steps back, surprise on her face as the Boo that had been roughly a ninth of her size broadened to something much taller than her. He didn't completely fill the fiery room, but the royal Boo now took up a good portion of it.

King Boo's eyes opened, and the previously red eyes now held a crystal-like effect to them. Arms stretched out and a vile laugh knickered out of his mouth as the magic around his form melted upwards to his crown.

He could feel the empty painting behind him, and if he wished, he could extend power toward it to open up the painting. Little cries came from lost Boos scattered around the land, and as King Boo sent a collective signal to the Boos using the power from the jewel, the royal ghost eased at the feel of his old powers coming back.

"Ah, now that's more like it," he cooed. His tongue bobbed out of his mouth, comfortably hanging down toward the floor, and a mimicked sigh of content came from him as he hovered in place.

Golden eyes, flashing and glittering with interest, stayed locked on his form. Hellen leaned forward, similar to a cat. A few quick movements, and the she-demon darted around the ghost, nimbly climbing a jagged rock spike close to the door of the room opposite her throne.

Her tail flicked and curled around the she-demon as she dropped her legs against the side of the rock spike. King Boo caught the sight of sharply-taloned bird feet before Hellen's dress covered them. She leaned against the spike, a flirty sigh echoing in the space between them as she cupped a hand under her chin. "Mm, your highness, you look ever powerful and commanding, as the King of all Boos should be…"

Black hair dipped as she cocked her chin up. A hand left the side of the rock to point to the gem in his crown. "You now hold your old powers, my king, and you also have a few new ones to play around with." Claws curled into palm, and she withdrew her hand back to the rock as a low hum rumbled from her. "Luigi will not be able to escape you this time, and there will be nothing stopping you from taking your revenge against the one who-" her fangs flashed again as her grin stretched from ear-to-ear "-_GRAVELY_ wronged you."

…Something felt off. Something wasn't right with this picture, and while King Boo didn't have a gut, the sick "gut feeling" he got sent alarm bells ringing through his mind.

King Boo whirled towards the she-demon to his left, eyebrows furrowing and tongue curled back up in his mouth. "No," he stated. His eyes studied every inch of her, looking for a break in the façade. "There's always a catch with you demons. There's always an exchange of some kind that you want me to do for your services. What is it? What do you want from me in return?"

As a silence settled over the room, an arrogant smirk slowly grew over Hellen's face.

Claws sank into the edge of the rock spike as Hellen leaned forward. Her pupils expanded as she whispered, "Do you really want to know what I desire, my king?"

"Yes!" King Boo glared at the she-demon, tongue tensing back. "If there's a catch, I better find out right now whether or not I need to wait for someone else to get me from the painting!"

Fear appeared on her face for a split second before the compact was out again. After a quick brush and a cloud of pink, the she-demon cleared her throat and relaxed. With a deep breath, she looked back up at the ghost.

"In exchange for me helping you escape from the painting and giving you one of the few power gems in all the Mushroom Kingdom-" her lips teased up at the corners "-I ask that you let me keep the spirits of the other visitors."

A vicious growl roared from the Boo's form. "_Luigi is mine…_"

"And he will be." Hellen nodded, strict formality replacing the smile. "I am aware of the blood between you and that cowardly plumber, and I will make no effort to get between that. The others however…"

His pose stayed taunt. "Others?"

With a pinch of her fingers, she reached into her hair, pulling out a folded sheet of paper she flicked open. "'Dear Luigi,'" she read, "'My name is Hellen Gravely, and I am a fan of you and you brother's endeavors. To express my eternal gratitude for keeping the Mushroom Kingdom and beyond safe from harm, I invite you and your other friends to my hotel, The Last Resort, where I plan to gift you all with the experience of a lifetime. Sincerely, Hellen Gravely.'"

King Boo's tongue eased as Hellen gently pulled another letter from her hair, claws drifting close to a broken green "L" seal on the edge of the top of the folded paper.

"'Dear Ms. Hellen Gravely,'" the she-demon read, her voice growing more excited and sinister with each word. "'I'm so grateful for the invitation! I would love to attend, and I plan to bring along my brother, Princess Peach, and a three Toads with me when I come to visit your hotel! We'll be there by the end of October, when a couple other projects the princess and Mario need to do get done. Thank you again for the invitation; we're all excited to visit soon!'"

Gold met red, and as the paper dipped, a smirk painted her face. Her eyes locked with his as she purred, "'Sincerely, Luigi."

A heavy silence settled between them.

The options rolled through King Boo's mind. He didn't care too much about the princess, though if Hellen owned her spirit, then she would be the one to deal with Bowser's wrath. Toads were worthless to him, but they'd serve as extra payments. Mario was needed to capture Luigi, but once Luigi was in the painting, then King Boo didn't have too much of a desire to keep Mario hostage. It was similar to Peach; Bowser would go after the creature that had his mortal enemies, and if King Boo didn't have them…

E. Gadd was someone he could try to negotiate for. Maybe he could strike up a deal later down the line and give Hellen something in exchange for him, but for right now, he wasn't a main priority.

Luigi? Luigi was nonnegotiable. He would either have Luigi, both the plumber's body and spirit, trapped in his possession or he would wait more years for someone else to rescue him from his painted prison.

The dip his sight had taken lifted back up, and the she-demon fell back into his sights.

Hellen stayed still, waiting patiently for his answer, though the royal Boo caught pink particles falling from her face. Time ticked on, and more began to fall, sharper lines starting to show on her cheeks and forehead as the she-demon remained statue-still.

There was more to her than she was letting on.

She was out of place in this room. Warm reds, oranges, and yellows painted every corner of the room, wrapping everything in a fiery hell for evildoers and villains of all kinds, and yet, there Hellen was. A beacon of cool colors among the warm, a sight for sore eyes from the harsh environment around them and one far too elegant for the rough nature demons were usually known for.

If this was her home, the environment where she would best flourish, wouldn't she tailor it more to fit her true form? The powers she held meant that she could craft her home to her liking, at least from what the foggy bits of demon information he knew told him, so why would she pick an environment that went against her true form?

Unless what he saw in front of him wasn't what she really was.

The longer he stared, the further he drew out the tense silence, more powder collected in the air. Additional lines drew across her skin and close to the scales near her hair and horns, and fear speckled her face. Not a fear of him specifically, he had seen enough people terrified of him to know what that looked like, but a fear of his disapproval.

Claws twitched, a tell that she couldn't help but give under the stress her body was struggling not to reveal, and King Boo could see her ache to put on another layer of makeup. But that meant showing a sign of weakness, a break in the wait that could upset him or make him feel rushed…

Something rested under the façade.

"Let me get this straight, just so everything is settled before the whole plan starts," King Boo began, eyes narrowing. "You invite my enemies to me. You set up a trap for them. You let me out of the painting and you give me back immense power I can use to crush my mortal enemy." A beat of silence passed, and the Boo's mouth thinned to a fine horizontal line. "And all you want in return are the spirits of a couple of people I don't really care about?"

"The spirits of Mario and Princess Peach, trapped eternally under my command and working at this hotel…" Hellen closed her eyes and tapped a few fingers against her mouth. "An absolutely wonderful image!"

King Boo saw the compact back at her fingertips, and another brush-over wiped away the stress lines he had seen form during the silence. Forehead, right cheek, left cheek, chin. A routine that looked far too practiced…

"The Toads will be extra payment, as they are already help for Princess Peach," Hellen purred, snapping her compact shut. "Count it as a payment for letting you and your Boos stay here for the next few weeks while we prepare for Luigi's arrival. For letting you out of the painting, the payment may be in Princess Peach's spirit. For giving you one rare power jewel, Mario's spirit will suffice."

Almost like an afterthought, she cocked her head to the side and waved a dismissive hand. "Professor Elvin Gadd is one I don't care too much for, though I may be willing to trade him in the future-" the gold in her eyes turned several shades deeper as she leaned towards the Boo "-if and only if there is an incentive for me to give him up."

Teeth caught her lip as her eyes flicked up and down King Boo's form. "Royalty may suit me in a way I have not previously known…" she murmured.

"We'll come back to E. Gadd later," King Boo growled. The large Boo lifted his arms up and down. "And I get Luigi?" His eyes flashed as he drew close to Hellen. "I won't take part in anything if I don't have Luigi, both his body and his spirit, trapped in a painting."

White teeth peeked out of the corner of her mouth. "Luigi is all yours, your Majesty," she cooed. Fingers lifted to his cheek, and comforting warmth spread from her claws as they rested against his form. A sincerity shined in the gold, the pupils large and frightfully loving. "Trust in me, my king, I want to see you triumphant and elated with victory. You have inspired me countless times, and I am utterly enjoyed to help you defeat your enemy once and for all."

This was the only thing King Boo could say was true about Hellen. Her body language was too relaxed, too natural for her admiration of him to be a trick later down the line. Everything about her, for only a moment, screamed honesty.

So, her deal would be sound, and if he managed to keep everything straight, then he could make it out with what he wanted and do it without debts coming out of the woodwork to keep him chained to the she-demon. She was giving him a lot of lee-way, but if she was truly a fan and loved him for his battles with Luigi…

She truly didn't fit in the environment around her.

"Alright then."

The evil look, one that King Boo knew all demons to take when they were about to strike their deal, graced her elegant face. "Do we have a deal, King Boo…?" she said, her words soft and coated in sweetness.

Bright blue dipped out of his mouth as a thrill darted through his form. He matched her smile, and as electricity filled the air and a small feathered cat within a pentagram erupted in his vision, King Boo nodded.

"Indeed we do, Hellen Gravely."

And with that, the deal was set.

The excess light faded as Hellen pulled back, hooking her legs from the side of the rock and falling from her perch. Clicks sounded as she hit the floor, and she curled two fingers into her palm as she gestured to the towering ghost to follow her. Her earlier dramatics came back full-force, a graceful smile adorning her pretty face. "Come, my king. Now that the deal is settled, it's time for me to show you what I already have in motion and what plans have been made for when Luigi comes here with his friends."

As she turned and headed for the door, the diamond-shaped tip of her tail swishing back-and-forth in a comfortable manner, the Boo's smile disappeared.

Hellen Gravely was many things, and one of them was most definitely an illusion. There was a lot about her that he didn't know, and the she-demon clashed with the environment she dwelled in. Cool clashed against the warm; pink was to hide away stress, fear, and other emotions he had yet to see; and deadly claws didn't fit with the warm and soft touches to his form…

He moved hovering behind her as she led them out of the room into the Master Suite, a floor level that did nothing but emphasize the fact that she was a creature of Inferno.

She was hiding things. Hiding secrets that may speak a lot about the she-demon he just made a deal with.

A thrill shot through his form again, and this time, King Boo kept his eyes trained on Hellen's face and hair. Breaks in the illusion would only happen in a matter of time, and he was interested to see who and what Hellen would be when they happened.

A small smirk spread across his face.

Hellen Gravely was a she-demon with a flair for dramatics and a whole lot of secrets. She hid everything, and the possibilities of who and what she truly was remained a mystery.

He had a few weeks until Luigi and his friends would finally come to the hotel.

"-My king, you are in for a treat!"

And as he trailed after Hellen, King Boo planned to use those weeks to find out exactly who this Hellen Gravely was.

* * *

_Song Inspos: "Horns" by Bryce Fox {the STéLOUSE Remix} was the song that inspired this and no one should be surprised by that lmao. The other song that got me through the second half of the story was "Teeth" by 5 Seconds of Summer because it fit the mood so well…_

_THIS WAS MEANT TO BE SHORT BUT VBGHNJK WHATEVES! I guess a part of me is channeling the spirit of Noah for this couple sob. Least I think I am. Admittedly this doesn't have much couple stuff between Hellen and KB, though HHHH I wrote out what I thought best fit what the scene needed._

_I hope you all enjoyed this fic! I really hate how open-ended I made this, and this is meant to be a oneshot. I might think about making another chapter, though it'll really depend if I feel like this is in need of another chapter. Other than that… yes, I have planned out this AU just like the other HellBoo AU fic I have. Yes, I am like that. _

_Oh yeah! Speaking of that! That's partly why I haven't put out anything HellBoo during the past month or so. I have been writing them, though the one fic I've been working on just passed 5,000 words and shows no signs of slowing down, so that's why I've been quiet. Thought this one was gunna be a quick little drabble but it turned into something a lot bigger… _

_Nonetheless, I hope you all enjoyed (I didn't know I could enjoy Demon!Hellen so much), and thank you all for reading! _

_XD_


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